Genesis 16:4
βAnd he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.β
KJV
Read in Genesis 16Meaning
Abram goes in to Hagar, she conceives, and afterward Sarai becomes diminished in Hagar's eyes according to the narrator's description.
Read carefully
The verse reports relational contempt but does not give readers permission to vilify Hagar or ignore the unequal power structure surrounding her.
Reflection
Plans designed to solve one problem can expose deeper fractures when relationships are treated primarily as means to an end.